


Five Times: OUAT-Hunger Games Style

by Julirine



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hunger Games-Typical Death/Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 20:36:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8592592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julirine/pseuds/Julirine
Summary: Five times Belle wanted to punch Rumplestiltskin, and the one time she didn't.





	

Belle walked around the lavish mansion where the final celebration of her victory tour took place. She was doing her best to keep her hatred of all of these stupid people off her face. The warning look from her mentor, Emma, told her that she wasn’t doing a very good job.  


Belle hated all of them. What they made her go through, what they made all the others go through, just for their own twisted entertainment. She wasn’t sure how the other victors managed not to go crazy when surrounded by people who would have had a good laugh if they had died some gruesome death in the Games.  


Someone grabbed Belle’s arm, and she reacted, grabbing the hand and preparing to punch. Her attacker was prepared for this, evidently, because his arm was raised to block her.  


“Easy, now, lass” said the man. “You won the Games, remember? This is a party.”  


Belle stared at him for a moment, and then slowly lowered her fist. She recognized him, of course; everyone knew Rumplestiltskin. He was a victor from District 1, many years back, and was a highly successful mentor to his tributes: he had a way of convincing the sponsors to do whatever he wanted. He was also infamously known for being very well connected to the Capitol, and was regarded by many to be a traitor to his people. Rumors even hinted that he was friends with President Regina (and there were even more rumors that he had been very close to President Cora).  


“I’m sorry,” Belle laughed, putting on her best fake smile. “I get really nervous around crowds.”  


He smiled back, with an equally fake expression. “Well, since you are a victor, I guess you will have to get used to the attention!” His smile slipped slightly, as he said quietly, “And since you’re a pretty one, you will get plenty of attention.”  


Belle wasn’t sure what he meant by that, nor why he looked briefly like he was going to cry. But then he blinked, and the sadness was gone, replaced by another brilliant smile.  


“Congratulations on your win. There aren’t that many victors from District 8. It must feel nice to prove all the people who were betting against you wrong,”  


Belle looked at him, wondering if he was testing her, waiting for her to say the wrong thing. “I’m just happy that I won,” she said carefully.  


Rumplestiltskin looked at her, smile still firmly in place, but with immense pain in his eyes. “We’ll see how long you feel that way.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Belle felt sick to her stomach as she kept smiling at everyone at the party, knowing full well what was going to happen with Gaston later on. Though she wished she could fight it, she knew it was pointless; besides, she had her father back home to protect.  


She saw Rumplestiltskin at the party, talking to a red-haired woman in a bright green dress with a practiced smile. Belle supposed that he was probably supposed to end up with her that night, just like Belle was with Gaston. However, Rumplestiltskin looked to be at ease, almost enjoying himself.  


He looked at her at that moment, and waved her over, introducing her to his ‘date’ Zelena.  


Belle replied with the usual pleasantries, explaining that her ‘date’ was over getting drinks. Belle thought she saw Rumplestiltskin briefly looked sympathetic, but it could have been a trick of the light.  


“Well, we are just so fortunate,” he was saying. “We victors are treated so well here in the Capitol, with so many people expressing their love and devotion. Isn’t that right, Belle?”  


Belle never wanted to punch someone more in her life. How could he be so calm? How could he stand there and thank these people for treating him like a piece of meat, to be sold to the highest bidder?  


Instead of punching him, Belle smiled back. “Oh, yes. I truly feel blessed, every time I get to go to one of these parties!”  


Zelena responded, gushing about how much she loved victors. Belle hardly listened. She was trying to figure out why Rumplestiltskin was looking at her with such pride.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Belle was waiting anxiously for her tribute, Marian, to come back from the Gamemakers’ judging. She didn’t really expect Marian to get a very good score, as the poor girl really didn’t have any fighting ability; but Belle hoped that Marian’s knot tying skills would at least garner a six from the Gamemakers.  


Some of the other mentors were in the room as well. Belle decided to walk over to Rumplestiltskin.  


He smiled at her, saying “Isn’t this your first time being a mentor?”  


“Yes,” said Belle. “Since Merlin died, Emma and I are the only victors from 8.”  


Rumplestiltskin nodded, slowly. “Do you think your tribute has a chance?”  


Belle realized that she might have a chance of getting Marian some allies. She smiled mysteriously at him, making it look like she was debating whether or not to answer. “I have got to say, she shows some real promise,” she said, straightening her shoulders to project confidence.  


Rumplestiltskin didn’t look like he was fooled, though. “That girl is far too skinny to be any good at fighting. If she wins, it will be on luck alone.”  


Belle felt her hand curling into a fist.  


He looked down at her hand, then back up at her. “Prepare yourself,” he said gently, and then walked away.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Belle felt like she was going to throw up. She was going back into the Games. The Third Quarter Quell would see both her and Emma as tributes for District 8.  


She stood with the other tributes as they all prepared for the chariot ride. She wandered over to where Rumplestiltskin’s stylist was touching up his hair.  


She snorted. The man was covered head to toe in gold spray paint. “Are you supposed to be a lump of gold?”  


Rumplestiltskin turned to smirk at her. “Why, yes, in fact I am! And I must say, you look particularly fetching as a wheat bundle.”  


Belle snorted again, certain he was making fun of her. Her stylist was an idiot and apparently couldn’t figure out how to make a costume inspired by grain. At least she wasn’t a walking breadloaf, like the tributes were a few years past.  


Rumplestiltskin’s teasing expression suddenly turned into a sincere one. “I really mean it. You look good.”  


Belle, for some reason, blushed at that. “Thank you,” she muttered, and then hurriedly rushed back to her chariot. There was something about him, and the way that he looked at her, that made her insides feel like they were turning themselves inside out.  


Belle walked next to Emma, who was getting her wheat bundle dress adjusted. “Is everything okay?” Emma asked her.  


Belle sighed. “I was just talking to Rumplestiltskin. I swear, if we were allowed to punch other tributes, I would definitely punch him.”  


Emma raised her eyebrows, and said “Hmm,” with a knowing gleam in her eye.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“All right, that’s the plan,” said David. “Let’s get to the beach and get more supplies.”  


Belle walked alongside Ruby, who was still reeling from the jabberjays that had sounded like her grandmother. “Do you think this plan will work?”  


Ruby shrugged. “David seems to know what he is doing.”  


Belle silently agreed. She wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but Emma had told her enough for Belle to know that the rebellion had a plan to rescue as many victors as possible. Belle could tell from the glances that David, Killian, and Emma exchanged that they were all in on this plan. Belle just hoped that the rescue would be able to save all of them.  


They reached the beach, but they were not the only ones there. Some of the Careers, including Rumplestiltskin, were there getting supplies. A fight quickly ensued. Belle found herself facing up against Rumplestiltskin.  


She swung at him with her sword, surprising him; as he ducked her blade, he leaned too far to the left, on his bad leg, and fell over. She stood over him, sword poised to kill.  


He looked at her with sadness, and yet gentle understanding. “Do it,” he rasped.  


Belle swallowed. His gold-hazel eyes drew her in and made her feel unsteady, like she was the one about to die. She tried to summon enough courage to make the killing blow, but she just couldn’t muster it.  


Rumplestiltskin took advantage of her hesitation and knocked the sword out of her hand, knocking her over with it. Her leg made a painful snapping sound, and then it felt like it was on fire, making Belle curl in on herself, whimpering. He then dragged her off the beach and cut deep into her arm with a dagger, making her scream in pain.  


“Shh,” he hissed at her. “Stay still!”  


He dug the dagger deeper into her arm, and then used some of the blood to smear it across her throat. He then hid her behind some plants as Belle’s vision started to go hazy with the pain in her arm and leg.  


“Stay here, and pretend to be dead,” he hissed at her.  


She stared at him blankly, not understanding why he wasn’t killing her.  


He looked down at her. “Remember who the real enemy is,” he said, and then limped quickly off into the forest.  


Belle recognized the phrase as the rebel victor’s secret message. Did that mean he was part of the rebellion?  


Belle laid there for what felt like hours, and drifted in and out of consciousness. She thought for sure she was hallucinating when a claw from the sky picked her up into a hovercraft. As she was brought in, she saw the worried face of Emma, who looked very relieved when Belle moved her head to look at her.  


“She’s alive!” Emma yelled to the other people in the room.  


“Thank God,” said Rumplestiltskin quietly. “We took so long to break through the arena ceiling, I was worried she was going to bleed out,”  


Belle had absolutely no idea what was going on, and just wanted the pain in her arm and leg to stop.  


Rumplestiltskin walked over to her, smiling gently. “It’s okay. You are safe now,”  


Belle whispered, “Arm?” hoping he would understand her question.  


“I had to remove your tracker,” he explained. “I am very sorry about your leg, though.”  


He took her good hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Welcome to the rebellion.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Belle sat in the Capitol’s main library, still at awe at all of the books surrounding her. She was very grateful that the rebel leaders made her in charge of the library. President Mary Margaret was willing to give her a much more prestigious position, after all of her help in the war, but Belle didn’t want it. After all the violence, after all she lost, she just wanted to be forever surrounded by books.  


Belle’s heart fluttered when she saw Rumplestiltskin wander in through the library’s doors. It turned out that he was one of the main orchestrators of the rebellion, and his insider’s knowledge about the Capitol had proven invaluable in the war; he was now a primary advisor to the President. There were still some people that didn’t trust him, remembering him from his mentor days, but Belle knew better. They had all had a part to play, and he had just played his part so well that he fooled everyone into thinking he had chosen the Capitol over his own people.  


Belle knew better, though. They had spent a lot of time together during the war, often fighting side-by-side. When they weren’t on the battlefield, they had shared stories of their time as a victor, and the horror that happened to them afterward. Belle trusted him completely.  


Belle knew she was in love with him. She had known for a while. But she valued the friendship that they had built too much to say anything; she had lost too much during the war, she didn’t want to lose him too. Now that Panem was at peace, though, and everyone was slowly healing from the tragedies that they had suffered through, Belle wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay silent anymore.  


Rumplestiltskin grinned at her. “And here, we have a Belle in her natural habitat, the library, where she is nourished by books…”  


Belle rolled her eyes at him fondly. “How’s the President?”  


He shrugged. “She’s fine. She is busy planning her wedding to David.”  


Belle nodded. She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t, and there was an awkward silence between them.  


Rumple swallowed uncomfortably, and shifted back and forth on his feet (he now wore a brace to help his bad leg). “Belle, I’ve been meaning to tell you something,”  


Belle looked at him curiously. “Really? What?”  


He looked vaguely like he was going to be sick. “Rumple, are you ill?” Belle asked, concerned.  


“No, no, I’m fine,” he reassured her. “I just…now that the war is over, I wanted to tell you…”  


He looked at her, warily gauging her reaction. “I wanted to tell you that ever since we met I…really cared about you. Really, really cared…” he trailed off.  


Belle stared at him, speechless. Surely he didn’t mean what she thought he meant? But his deepening blush and disappointed grimace at her silence indicated otherwise.  


“I don’t expect you to return these feelings,” he rushed to say, clearly thinking that she was upset with him. “I just felt like it was the right time to tell you.”  


Belle was still dumbstruck, trying to process what was happening.  


“I hope we can still be friends,” Rumplestiltskin said, a little desperately. “Please, Belle, say something,” he begged her.  


Belle had forgotten how to speak. But she remembered how to move, and so she walked toward him and kissed him soundly.  


When they parted, out of breath, Rumplestiltskin’s eyes were filled with more joy than she had ever seen them to have. “I guess I should ask you out on a date?” he laughed happily.  


Belle laughed with him, finally finding her voice and saying, “I would like that very much,”  


And then she leaned in to kiss him again.


End file.
